Gabriela Gonzalez

A PhD student in the Human and Social Dimensions (HSD) program, Gabriela Gonzalez has been pursuing research aimed at discovering how the intersectionality of ethnicity, gender, class, and culture may influence or shape perceptions, attitudes, and dispositions toward careers in STEM. Gonzalez presented her research proposal, directed a workshop, and presented an IGNITE talk at the WEPAN conference in 2014.

Gonzalez noted the collaborative nature of the SFIS and HSD communities, which offer opportunities to continue to build and nurture academic networks, professional relationships and collaborations with other graduate students. “Those networks are a major advantage in any STEM field,” Gonzalez says. “The social capital acquired through these SFIS affiliations continues to enable me to develop new opportunities for learning, sharing, and collaborating.”

Her focus on underserved minority girls led her to cofound Hermanas Diseña Tu Futuro, an initiative that aims to motivate girls in junior high and high school to engage in STEM education and consider STEM careers. The model has proven itself to be successful and scalable in Arizona, Oregon, California and Guadalajara, Mexico.

This is Gonzalez’s second year serving as the ASU representative for planning of the Science and Technology Global Consortium Conference. She also volunteers at the Arizona Science Center delivering nanotech demos, a service that doubles as a valuable tool for evaluating public perception and acceptance of nanotechnology.